DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Eighteen sick and neglected horses have been rescued from an 8-acre property in Guthrie County. The Animal Rescue League of Iowa says it helped county officials remove the animals on Thursday. The horses were taken to two of the league’s rehabilitation facilities for veterinary care, food and shelter. League Executive Director Tom Colvin said in a news release that the horses had been living without food, shelter and veterinary care for an undetermined amount of time. Colvin says the animals face a long road to recovery. Once healthy, the horses will be available for adoption through the league’s Barn Buddy adoption program.

A door and window maker is blaming the continued recession in the housing market for an offer to employees at four operations in Iowa. Pella Corporation spokesperson Kathy Krafka Harkema says the move is designed to trim the company’s bottom line. Pella is offering offering incentives for employees to retire or voluntarily leave the workforce. The offer involves Pella Corporation facilities in Carroll, Shenandoah, Sioux Center and Pella. It’s also being offered at Pella manufacturing sites in Macomb, Illinois and Portland, Oregon. The incentives were announced Thursday along with the closing of a plant in South Carolina.

“Unfortunately, we must close our manufacturing facility in Columbia, South Carolina that employs 147 people,” Harkema said. That plant will close by the end of December. Harkema says new home construction has dropped 70-percent since 2006 and the recession in the U.S. housing economy is projected to continue. “If people aren’t building new homes, they’re not needing as many new windows and doors. That’s what led us to take these actions,” Harkema said. “We’re sorry to have to take these actions, but we’re doing all we can to partner with area officials to try and help people find new careers.”

Pella Corporation is a privately-held company headquartered in Pella, Iowa with 8,000 employees around the country.

(Pat Curtis/Radio Iowa)

One person was seriously injured when a dump truck overturned this (Thursday) morning, northeast of Neola. According to scanner traffic, the accident happened at around 9:40-a.m, on the Old Railroad Highway off-ramp to Interstate 680 eastbound. The unidentified 39-year old driver of the truck was ejected from the vehicle and suffered a serious head injury.  He was flown by helicopter from the scene to Creighton University Hospital’s Trauma Center. His injuries, while serious, were not believed to be life-threatening.
The dump truck he was driving was hauling broken asphalt and concrete from the I-680 re-construction project. The vehicle  rolled down the embankment south of the 680 ramp. The driver reportedly told authorities the truck’s brakes had failed, causing him to lose control of the vehicle.

An Elk Horn business is preparing to gather items for use in Care packages which will be shipped to our troops serving overseas. The AmericInn’s efforts come in advance of the November 11th Veteran’s Day national holiday. The gift packages are part of a special initiative to support the troops deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and at other military bases overseas.

AmericInn General Manager Jackie Wright says they’ll be organizing donations, merchandise contributions and volunteers to prepare the Care packages, which will contain gift items that are not readily accessible during overseas military deployment. That includes personal care merchandise, clothing, food treats, magazines, games and stationary items.

AmericInn in Elk Horn will host the event in the hotel’s Meeting Room, beginning at 4:30-p.m Friday, November 11th.   Blue Star Mothers, hotel staff, friends, family, and local businesses will be participating in the event, but the public is weclome to come and make a donation or help prepare the gift packages.

AmericInn has sponsored several previous initiatives to support members of the military as part of an overall “AmericInn Cares” commitment to caring, involvement and patriotism. At the company’s 2011 Annual Convention earlier this year, AmericInn partnered with the national Blue Star Mothers organization to donate over 300 Personal Care Packages that were prepared and shipped overseas to active duty troops.

The company also offers a national discount to active duty and retired members of the military and their dependents. They can receive this discount by requesting the AmericInn Military Rate (rate code: MIL) when they make their reservation at a hotel, AmericInn.com or by calling company’s toll free telephone number.  A military I.D. is also required at check-in.

For more information about the local Care package initiative, call 712-764-4000.